Changing SEA

What is the Changing Spirituality of Emerging Adults Project?

Welcome! We are glad you’ve found your way to this webpage, which will provide you with much insight into two important questions:

Who are emerging adults? and
What kind of churches do they like?

We’ve assembled a team of expert researchers, assigned them specific tasks, and here present their answers. If you are a Christian ministry professional or volunteer, or simply someone with an interest in young adults ages 18-29 and the worlds they inhabit, we hope you’ll find this website to be an invaluable resource. Please read, comment, send us feedback, and pass the word to others about this site.

The Changing SEA project, funded by a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., was the final project of the late Dean Hoge, Professor of Sociology at Catholic University of America. It was his desire to conduct research on young adults both in and out of churches, and then communicate that research to ministry practitioners in helpful ways. We hope we have carried forward his vision in this project, and dedicate these pages to his memory.

The Changing SEA Project Team

Changing Sea Project Team

Anthony J. Pogorelc, Ph.D.
Institute for Policy Research &
   Theological College
Catholic University of America

James Youniss, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Catholic University of America

Tim Clydesdale, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology
The College of New Jersey

Kathleen Garces-Foley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Marymount University



Advisory Board:

Nancy Ammerman, Boston University
Michael Emerson, Rice University
Gerardo Marti, Davidson College
Stephen Warner, University of Illinois at Chicago



The Institute for Policy
Research & Catholic Studies
ChangingSEA.org